Trends in the Seroprevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Pregnant Women Attending a Tertiary Care Center in Navi Mumbai, Western India

Abstract

Expanding HIV testing and counselling among pregnant women is critical for identifying those in need of followup care and subsequent interventions. Data from PPTCT centers provide invaluable inputs for estimating the seroprevalence of HIV among pregnant women within a region of the state. A retrospective analysis was carried out to look at the trends in the seroprevalence over a ten years period and overall effectiveness of the PPTCT program. At the M.G.M. Hospital in Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra in India, women registered at the antenatal clinic of the hospital and consenting to undergo testing after counselling were tested for HIV seropositivity. Three different HIV antibody detection tests were used as per the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) guidelines. Out of a total of 27256 women who had registered, 26516 (97.3%) underwent counselling and all of these agreed to undergo testing. Most women that underwent counselling and testing for HIV were in the second trimester of their pregnancy. Maximum women (66%) who agreed for counselling and HIV testing belonged to the age group of 21-30 years. Majority of the women counseled (82%) were aware of HIV and AIDS. 89% of the women who were positive for HIV belonged to the age group of 21-30 years. Overall seropositivity for the ten years was 0.6%. The HIV seropositivity decay rate of -0.351 (p<0.0006, 95% CI: -0.499 to -0.203) shows significant downward trend among pregnant women in Navi Mumbai over the last decade. The trend analysis of the data in our study suggests that if the PPTCT program is implemented effectively, the prevalence of new seropositive women could be halved in as little as two years.